Mr.510
-
Posts
1,920 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
9
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Posts posted by Mr.510
-
-
The figure I had always heard was that a typical automotive application V belt could reliably transfer about 7hp. Given that I've worked on many machine tools with two similar belts on slightly larger diameter pulleys transferring 30hp all day long with nearly instantaneous acceleration and deceleration I would guess that's pretty close. The bigger the pulley diameter and the steeper the V-belt's angle the more traction and therefore the more power that can be transferred. My slidebed wrecker has a GM 250amp alternator that's turned by a belt of the same approximate size as a Pathy belt.
When thinking of inertia of an alternator at 5k rpm remember that the general rule of thumb is that an alternator spins about 3x crank speed. So when my VG510 hits the rev limiter the alty is spinning about 24,000 rpm.
And yes, I've thrown the windings off the stators of a couple alternators with such shenanigans. -
YOU HAVE TO VOTE FOR THE CRIPPLE!
And I did!
-
I have a 98 pathy ~ 15x8 rims with a 3.75 backspacing ~ sounds like the 33x10.5 R15 a/ts fit easily.
We are talking about the '87-'95 WD21 Pathies here, your '98 is an R50. I have zero knowledge of what fits on the R50 with various lifts, wheel widths, and backspacing. I suggest you take a look in the R50 section and see what's been proven to work.
You did remind me of one thing that I didn't mention in my above post: To run 33x10.5 tires on a WD21 with no lift or suspension lift only and have room to stuff a tire without massive rub or serious trimming you have to run stock Lego wheels or 15x7 aftermarket wheels with the same offset. When my truck stuffs a tire there is less than 1/4" between the sidewall and the quarter panel. If the outer edge of the rim stuck out just 3/8" more I would lose about 5" of travel! Also keep in mind that the further outward the outer edge of the rim is the more rub you'll have at the firewall and the more leverage the tire will have against suspension components.
-
Wow.
-
could i run a 33x10.5 on the factory wheels with a 3" ac lift?
BFG 33x10.5s on Legos fit with no lift... just freaking barely. I've been running them four or five years I think. A little fender massaging with a rubber mallet at the corners of the lips is all you need. You'll need that massaging regardless of suspension lift, since the wheel will still "stuff" to the same place when the suspension is compressed. In the rear as you increase articulation the tire stuffs even farther than it did stock. I think much more serious pounding with a plastic dead blow is going to be required to make my 33x10.5R15 Swamper Radials fit. BFGs are much smaller than their published size while Swampers are a little on the big side. I think the Swamper is 3/4 of an inch taller and it's certainly more 'square' at the shoulder and this is where tires rub.
im trying to find a good aggressive 33x10.5 that is good in snow, mud and water...i dont really care about the noise level any suggestions (dont want to spend like 1000$ on tires though)
Swamper Radial. Makes most other mud tires look like all terrains! But they are $1250-ish for a set of five.
I don't think you're going to find to many tire option in the 33x10.5 If you're going to run that size I'd go with the BFG AT KO unless mud driving is more important than snow driving.
I've been on AT KOs since I went to 33s. They are an amazing tire. I climb stuff easily on KOs that friends on KM2s struggle with. If you've got greasy slick mud get something else because they won't self clean well enough. KOs work very well in fairly deep snow and are one of the best truck tires I've driven on compact snow on the street. KM2s are OK on compact snow but are probably the worst deep snow tire in the offroad market. They look like they would work great but they're horrible in even a foot of snow.
-
Welcome to NPORA! You should introduce yourself in the section marked "New People Start Here".
All of the interior panels snap-in with the exception of the two rear upper corner panels at the very back which have one screw each. Look at where the pieces overlap each other and remove whichever pieces are necessary to get the big piece around the pop out window out, it's the one that has the speaker in it. If I recall correctly you have to remove the panel behind that one and the one above the big window, but it's been a while. You can remove the panels by slipping a flat blade screwdriver in behind them and twisting it to pop the plastic fasteners out of their holes. Some of the fasteners will probably break since they are getting old. I snag a handful at Pick N Pull once in a while to replace the ones I break.
-
Nissan superceded all VG pickup tubes to ones of a new design that takes a flat gasket. There have been many cases of the O-ring turning hard and leaking causing oil starvation and engine failure. I do not remember when they made the change, but it *should* be impossible to buy an O-ring type pickup tube new from Nissan. Also, I'm running the pickup tube from the '03 S/C X and it's flat gasket type stock.
-
I have a similar crimper, most welding stores stock them. When I make battery cables I crimp and then solder them so corrosion cannot get between the strands of the cable. I also use a piece of really heavy duty heat shrink over the top. Cables made this way pretty much last forever. I made the ones in one of my 510s in about 1990 and they are still good as new.
-
so major question here. i phoned nissan to get a oil pickup tube from a xterra with a vg33e. he said there are 3 seperate part numbers for oil pick up tubes for 3.3 xterra. one for 99, one for 2000, and one for 2001-200X. which year oil pickup should i get ???
I can guarantee that an '03 Xterra pickup tube will work in your stock WD21 oil pan. I'm running the '03 X oil pan as well, but only because it was in better shape than my WD21 pan. The two oil pans are identical except for the angled area where the drain plug goes. The X has the drain hole lowered so you can get a teeny bit more oil out. Oh, and don't forget the pickup tube gasket!
-
i'm wondering if you guys can have a look at these pics and tell me if you see anything wrong or possible flaw with these UCA's.
here's the pic's:
Do you guys think their worth $300 bones?
I know the OP has moved on to running proven UCAs but I wanted to comment on the arms in the original post. Adjustable length A-arms seem like a really good idea. I wish that in practice they worked half as well as you'd think they would. When I was in charge of Engineering & New Product Development at Joes Racing Products I built a fixture with an air cylinder to test the flex of racing A-arms. Any with threaded adjusters like those pictured above are approximately half as rigid when loaded front-to-back as a welded steel tube arm. I don't know if anyone has actually wheeled with those arms, but I'll bet I would twist them into pretzels in the first half mile of trail and I am NOT generally hard on equipment. The engineering problem with them is that they don't have enough rigidity to keep them from twisting. As you apply a load to the upper ball joint the arms twists so it's no longer in one flat plane. As soon as that happens pieces bend and you have an expensive pretzel. Also worthy of note is those arms could not function as the droop stop the way a stock or typical aftermarket Pathy UCA does. That force alone would twist the arm so it's not flat, compromising it's strength as a triangle. When I designed the Joes A-arm line I tried many ways of making an adjustable upper and every single one failed miserably. That's my
-
Actually my moms boyfriend is building a z31 though and I believe he is looking for a 3.3 as well. I will let him know you make an adapter as that would probably make his life a lot easier. Is it released for the public yet or are you still on prototype stage??? billet aluminum?? what about the damper? any issues known with vg30s and running no damper pulley? I guess it's a pretty well balanced v6 so I couldn't see it being too bad.
I don't have production crank pulley adapters ready to go yet, they are probably a month out. It is a billet aluminum hub that replaces the VG33 harmonic balancer and accepts VG30 six bolt steel accessory pulleys. There's no issue with eliminating the balancer, many people have run aluminum crank pulleys that do the same thing for hundreds of thousands of miles. You cannot tell a difference in vibration between my engine and one with a balancer. Please let him know that I also build oil pickup tubes for the VG33 into Z31 swap.
I looked at your pics. Be sure you unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate and properly index it into the transmission per the FSM or you'll ruin the transmission when you start the engine! I would not have pulled the engine with the TC attached to the flex plate but it probably didn't hurt anything. Take a good look at the front seal of the transmission and replace it if you have any doubts whatsoever! Doing the TC bolts is the biggest PITA in a Pathy engine or trans swap. I leave the RH motor mount off until the engine and trans are mated together so I can use a long extension to torque the TC bolts from in front of the engine.
-
I have not removed a diff with the front crossmember attached. It's not usually possible because the LCAs prevent the crossmember bolts from being removed. Usually you unbolt the inner CVs and take the bolts out of the two front mounts. Also remove the rearward diff crossmember as it won't fit between the T-bars while attached to the diff. Then lift the engine as far as possible and rotate the rear of the diff down until it will come out. I did mine this way just recently and while it does suck it was easier than pulling the T-bars and LCAs in my case. With the T-bars removed I'm not sure how easy it is to get that front crossmember out?
-
If you don't use synthetic lube, then I guess that means you use conventional differential oil?
Yes, Delo 80w-90. Chevron says it's the best non-synthetic on the market, but it's their product so I'm not surprised by their opinion.
I'm pretty sure he uses extra virgin olive oil in his diffs.
Oh, right... I mean, No, I actually use canola oil with a pinch of basil, it smells better when it gets hot!
right. extra virgin is always better. that's what you want.
I don't understand why you would use conventional though. Synthetic gave you problems? That's weird. I guess so, but that means you have to change your fluids like..all the time?
Synthetic has given me problems with my limited slips chattering and/or not tightening up progressively under load to lock the axles together as they should. I've run Nismo clutch-type LSDs in several of my street cars for 25+ years. I tried four brands of synthetic in my R180LSD and it chattered and/or groaned while turning with all of them. Switched back to 80w-90 dinosaur oil and it worked perfectly within ten miles. (It takes a bit for the new oil to dilute the old oil from between the friction plates in an LSD.) I change the fluid in my diffs and T-case about once a year, and only that frequently because I do a lot of wheeling. My Pathy has been in water over the bumpers hundreds of times, I've never gotten water in any of the fluids, and I'm just running the stock vent line setup.
There are vehicles on the road with 300k+ on factory fill diff fluid, and/or decades old gear oil. While it's not the best practice, they're still somehow working. I had the factory fill in for 123k myself. I put in Valvoline 80W-90 conventional gear oil, and I'll probably change it at 150k and put some synthetic fluid in and run it at 50k change intervals.
I would guess that at least 50% of vehicles spend their entire life in service on the original gear oil and/or ATF. I've drained oil out of rear ends that looked more like roofing tar than gear oil and there was no significant wear on the gears or bearings. For most people's use I think T-cases and diffs are so massively overbuilt that the type/weight/interval of fluids doesn't really make much difference in their longevity.
-
Sounds to me like it's either shifting in/out of overdrive or locking/unlocking the torque converter. Fixing the sensor problem will probably correct it.
The surging while decelerating down a long hill is pretty common on TBI trucks. Mine has been doing it occasionally for several years but only on long, steep descents when cold. It hasn't bugged me enough yet for me to bother fixing it.
I think this is a completely separate issue from your transmission problem. -
but im planning on using the entire vg33e engine/accessories the same as it was assembled in the r50 and adapting the power steering lines instead of using the vg30e accessories. why would i have to touch the water/oil pump??? im confused.
If you're keeping all the VG33 accessories, belts, and brackets you don't need to mess with the water or oil pumps.
The major issue with VG33 swaps is there is no way with factory parts to make the VG30 accessories work with a VG33 crankshaft. This is why most of the Z31 guys swap out the crank, oil pump, and water pump when they do a VG33 swap. I'm now producing a crank pulley adapter that solves this problem. The prototype is in my VG34i build thread that's around here somewhere.
-
Sounds like a blown fusable link or bad connection at the positive battery terminal. Check the secondary wires that connect to the positive terminal as well as both terminal's connections to the battery.
-
I run Chevron Delo 80w90 in my T-case and diffs. While you can run either ATF or gear oil in the transfer case I highly recommend using gear oil on a wheeler and ATF on a street truck or occasional wheeler. Gear oil for better shock resistance and ATF for better gas mileage. The transmission and T-case do not share the same oil supply, I think the OP asked about that. Also worthy of note: There is a drain slot in the housing between the transmission and transfer case specifically so the fluids cannot cross-contaminate even if both seals fail.
I would not run synthetic lube of any brand in a Nissan LSD as I've had nothing but problems in the past. I have LSDs front and rear in my Pathy.
I am currently running Amsoil synthetic ATF in my HD auto trans but may switch back to conventional because it does not shift as hard on synthetic. The harder an auto trans shifts the longer it lives. This is a good reason to run an auto in "Power Mode" any time you aren't on the freeway. Hard shifts = less wear on the clutches.
-
Damn thats a tight piston! I never looked it up but didn't think it would have been that tight.
James
That's what the guy who bored my block thought too!
I compared the VH45 and VG33 FSMs to be sure that spec would cross-over between the two. The VH is an aluminum block and I didn't know if that would make a difference, or if the pistons might be of different material. The specs on the two were very close.
-
Different clearances definitely come into play when going with forged pistons. I tend to be the kind that warms up the car before driving anyway. Guess I got into the habit with the diesel tow rig (remote start is a wonderful thing).
MR510 your build is sweet!
It makes mine more likely to happen down the road. Thanks!
Did you ever happen to weigh that VH45? I hear rumors that it is lighter than our cast iron VG's?
Over the last 5 years my rig has had the 3.92's from Calmini. It is amazing how it changes the capabilities of a vehicle.
I too have remote start and tend to let my truck warm up a few minutes, especially with the new motor!
Thank you. It was a quick, fun project. Had I planned to do a build thread I would have taken more pics as there are some big holes in the assembly. I mostly wanted to document the things that didn't just drop together. Start to finish spanned about four weeks I guess. Had planned on just dropping the VG33ER longblock in but that didn't work out so well!
I did not weigh the VH45DE but I can tell you from muscling it around that it weighs at least what a VG30DE does, probably more. There is a common misconception that engines with aluminum blocks are lighter than iron ones. In many cases this is not true. A good example of this is that a VG30E is lighter than an SR20DET.
Lower T-case gears or a doubler would be nice for sure. I also have Unimog 404s so I know the advantages of mega low gearing first-hand. I run a HD Xterra automatic in my Pathy so the gearing isn't as much of an issue as it would be with a manual. I can't imagine trying to go the places I do with a 5 speed, stock gears, and 33s... My bodywork would be a whole lot more smashed up, that's for sure! If I can find the right deal on them I will switch to 4.9 gears at some point.
A way to do this without the VH pistons and VG30DE rods would be to get a rebuild kit from RPM Machine:
http://www.rpmmachine.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=322
They can sell oversize pistons...so it eliminates the valve relief process. just a thought.
Jose
They only go up to 92.5mm bore from that supplier... but remember that the higher compression ratio when using Q pistons is the bigger advantage, not the 3.2% increase in displacement. Also worthy of consideration is that complete 'kit' costs less than a set of Infiniti piston rings. That says something about the likely quality of the parts.
VGs live the longest of just about any production gasoline engine. This is largely due to the high quality of parts and machine work and very tight clearances and tolerances from the factory. At least 75% (probably 90%) of automotive machine shops cannot even hold the VGs factory piston-to-bore tolerance of 0.0008-0.0012. Mine is nuts on at o.oo1 (one thousandth of an inch.) These are not easy engines to build/rebuild for longevity. They are simple but the tight clearances make everything super critical. These aren't small block Chevys, there isn't a single part in them that can be measured accurately enough with digital calipers.
-
The first thing I would get is a set of left-hand drill bits. 80% of the time you can get broken off bolts or studs out by drilling an 1/8" hole with one and then switching to a 3/16". Once you get the larger drill started lean on it a little so the bit digs in. Often times that backs the broken fastener right out. If not you've got the right size hole for a conventional extractor. At the very least using LH drills keeps you from making the problem worse by tightening the fastener further when drilling.
As far as extractors, I never use the twisted ones as they always seem to break. Get the ones that are straight, tapered squares. You pound them in and then turn them. Also use a tap handle and apply even force to both handles so you don't load the extractor sideways. Most people break off extractors because they try to turn them with a wrench and side load them. I've also had very good luck with an extractor set of this design, but I don't know what brand mine are, Roddick maybe?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370554671751#ht_2755wt_754
-
I had a Ford engineer put my VG34 with vh45 pistons through his calculator... It was something like a 10.34 horse gain over a vg33e. So if a fella put cams, port/polish, headers, maybe even bigger injectors on a VG33e (Like a VG34 build would have) the gains would be be negotiable for the amount of work. I put a VG33 in my 87 HB and the torque was noticeable. For the 180 bucks that was spent on the engine (250 with the serp accessories) it was a very nice upgrade for the dollar.
It would be neat to see what a VG34 gets on a dyno.. Mine is setting in the corner waiting for its owner to kill one of the other VG's..
The Z31 folks tend to have a problem with ring land failures on the VG33. The builds with success normally have custom pistons. Kinda thinking my VG34 may end up with them too.. these new turbos spool fairly fast and are the ticket here in Colorado. The superchargers are a set ratio where the turbo goes for broke. Some 8.5:1's and 12-14 lbs would probably work really well.
Looking back.. A VG30et has been the most economical deal so far. Leave it stock with some bigger injectors/intercooler and a fella is at 350 horse.
That Ford engineer must have gotten his formula wrong... or it says something about Ford in general!
With stock MPFI Pathy injection (mine is TBI) the exact motor I built makes 225hp at the flywheel on 87 octane. Every single piece is the same as one Sly built and ran on the dyno except I don't run a harmonic balancer so my rotating weight is about six pounds less... has no effect on HP but it does rev quicker. (It would show incorrectly as an increase in HP on a flywheel-type chassis dyno.) Also keep in mind that USDM VG33 cams are absolute crap, the worst cams ever put in any VG series engine. Late VG30 cams into a VG33 is probably good for 15hp or more. Somebody probably has dyno numbers on a stock VG33 with VG30 cams? I think it's VQ30 pistons that are 93mm bore with 22mm wrist pins and come out somewhere near 8:1 in a VG33/4 build. They would be good for a moderate boost turbo setup. You can have forged pistons made of course, but the last thing I want in a street motor that sees lots of short trips and lots of miles is forged pistons beating themselves to death when cold. I built my VG34 with high compression specifically to run a light breathing turbo at only 5-7psi but seeing boost below 2k rpm. If I wanted max hp I'd have put a VG30ET in it, but that would be almost useless on the trail and the gas mileage would suck because of the low compression ratio.
Now I'm gathering all the parts to do the factory supercharger. I have almost everything, and only three more parts to buy. The lower crank shaft pully, the ac compressor clutch, and the supercharger it self. I'll be useing a Vi-pec computer and get it tuned.
I have the AC compressor from my VG33ER, I'll make you a good deal on it! I sold the S/C on eBay but still have some of the bracketry and such.
-
I don't think I would supercharge a VG30E. The crank snout is awfully small diameter and they are known to break off just forward of the timing gear on occasion for no apparent reason. The serpentine accessory belt models are well known for this problem but it happens on others as well. The VG33 crank snout is huge in comparison and the same size as that of the DE/DETTs. The VG33ER crank pulley is HUGE. The belt driving the S/C is way forward of the timing cover and that would put a whole lot of load on that skinny little crank snout... plus you'd have to machine a custom pulley.
The VG33 pistons can take boost, that's not a problem. Lots of guys put a stock VG33E bottom end in their Z31 Turbos and have no issues with reliability. A lower compression ratio would net you the ability to run more boost for more power at the expense of less bottom end and lower fuel efficiency.
The build thread for my VG34 is here: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=31418 The VG34's higher compression ratio (10.3:1 in my case) is a bigger factor in how much power it makes than the increase in displacement. It has also increased the fuel mileage by almost 3mpg in mixed driving, but keep in mind I'm on 33s so the huge increase in torque is probably a bigger factor than it would be on a stock truck. I have not done a long enough highway trip yet to know what it gets on the freeway.
-
If it feels 'normal' when going straight and has progressively more rolling resistance the tighter you turn it's normal. Turning radius on dirt increases a bunch when in 4wd due to tire slippage caused by the front and rear ends travelling different distances while locked together. The differentials only help with side-to-side differences in wheel speed.
-
Awesome white up! You have skills and a lot of nissan knowledge, and parts. I have a VG33 to put in my pathy and would love to build it into a VG34 but I don't have the equipment to machine those pistons. Doesn't anyone make a .060 over piston for the VG33?
After seeing the problems people run into mixing and matching parts, my plan is to use a VG30 crank in the VG33 block then use a VG30 oil pump and other accessories. I should be able to remove the block plate, add the threaded fitting from a VG30 and put my oil filter on the side of the block like the VG30? I know most people don't like the oil filter next to the starter but it has worked for this long.
Thank you for all the pics, I knew the heads needed work but now I know exactly what to do.
I was planning on converting my fuel injection over to the VG30E setup before changing the motor, I'm surprised you used the TBI setup. That would be alot easier! Do you think you will need to reprogram the ECU to get the full extent of your motor, or are you not worried about it just as long as it runs good?
James
Thanks man! I don't know what's out there in aftermarket off-the-shelf pistons? I think I stated somewhere above that the increase in compression ratio is a bigger factor in power output than the increase in displacement. With the Q pistons being just about exactly what you want to end up with they are pretty hard to argue with. They are not terribly expensive new, I can get them wholesale, and machine valve reliefs into them. If you want me too I'll quote a price for a set of Infiniti pistons and rings ready to drop into your VG block. For that matter I can duplicate anything and/or everything that's in my motor for anybody that wants one.
Yeah, all the Z31 guys pretty much use a VG30 crank when they swap to VG33s... though I hope that changes after my pulley adapter goes into production! I prefer the VG33 oil pump as it's the only gerotor pump in the SOHC VG family. The VG33's larger diameter crank snout is a plus as it reduces the load on the woodruff key that has been known to kill VG30 cranks. Plus VG30 crank snouts do break off just forward of the T-belt cog once in a while. I've got a couple broken cranks here. Oh, and I also very much like my new oil filter location! You can definitely alter the VG33 block to put the oil filter above the starter if you want to. Many have done it. You can see in my write up exactly what every fitment issue is if you keep the VG33 crank. If I were doing it again I would mill .300 off the oil pump bosses as that would make the alty tensioner and lower hose issues disappear.
I'm running the TBI for now for a couple reasons, the most important being that I have it, it works, and I don't have to spend money on it! I also wanted to see how well it works with a bigger motor. I have no doubt it will be a bottle neck and limit the power output of this engine, but right now it's limiting factor is definitely the exhaust. There is so much back pressure it sounds like a vacuum cleaner whenever I'm on the throttle, and that's with no cat. I have no doubt the TBI will keep the mixture correct, the issue is going to become it's limited airflow capacity.
I will be swapping to MPFI at some point as this engine will get turbocharged. I know I'll run the Pathy upper but I don't know yet which ECU and other hardware I'm going with. I'm trying to get Nistune to support the MPFI Pathy ECU as I want to develop a bolt-in turbo kit specifically for WD21s using the stock Z31 turbo to achieve boost at low rpm. I have a new-in-box '89 turbocharger and expect it will be into boost before 2k rpm with my VG34. My intent is to run 7psi with no intercooler and put somewhere around 300hp to the wheels on 87 octane pump gas. 300+ ft. lbs. of torque at 2500rpm would be nice too.
hood release wire broke/came loose
in The Garage
Posted
With most Nissan hood latches you can stick a long screwdriver through the grille and pry the ear the cable end attaches to sideways to release the hood. I don't recall if this works on a Pathy and the weather is like the inside of a dishwasher or I'd go look at one of mine. Look through the grille with a flashlight, preferably when it's dark outside or in your garage so you can better see the latch and where the release is located.